Comments on: Blaufränkisch: from zero to 60 in fifteen yearshttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/
wine talk that goes down easyThu, 08 Dec 2016 21:45:12 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7By: Dotanhttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-405041
Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:24:42 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-405041hey evrybody,
Is someone can recommend me on very good bluefrankish wine? In the “figilmuller” Austrian restaurant (famous “schnitzel”)the sell house wine blufrankish which was flowers. It was not bad at all!!!. I will appreciate your expertise opinion.
]]>By: Grapes 8, 9: Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch | 1000 Grape Escapeshttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-336357
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:23:34 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-336357[…] is the kid that always got called last by his teacher. * Dr. Vino thinks that Blaufrankisch is the best red you’ve never heard of. Little does he know that you know. This entry was posted in Blaufrankisch, Uncategorized, […]
]]>By: GregThttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295979
Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:21:06 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295979Sorry I missed this earlier. For years I have felt that Hungary should focus on Blaufränkisch because some of the best examples I’ve had come from that area. Remember that what is now eastern Austria and western Hungary were not always separated, so both sides claim the grape, although in the US we tend to favor the German name. I agree with David completely in that I’ve never met a grower who would tout his Zweigelt over the Blaufränkisch.

Just east of the Austrian border, in Sopron, there is some wonderful Blaufränkisch and some of it is in fact made by the same producers who are working in Austria. The natural “home” of it, according to some, is Szekszárd, although I’m not aware of many imported from there.

I like the grape a lot and I’m glad to see the growers getting some attention, and I hope the trendies who are discovering it realize that there is a lot of other great wine made in Austria and Hungary. I hesitate to say it, but I think rather than compare this grape to syrah from the Northern Rhone, it might be more interesting to compare their syrah to that of the Northern Rhone. Both countries are also making some pretty good syrah these days!

]]>By: Bill Wardhttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295668
Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:11:10 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295668Kiona Lemberger from Washington has brightened our Thanksgiving table the last two years. Great food wine, and none too shabby for just sippin’.
]]>By: James Wrighthttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295639
Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:20:22 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295639late to the party, I know, but, a coupla things—

1. first thanks to Silvia Prieler, who gave me a couple bottles of her 07er Leithaberg Blaufränkisch at the Austrian Cultural Forum tasting—one of them went down the hatch instead of a big Tempranillo with shell steaks on Friday night, and truly did not invite comparison with any other variety—but was quite excellent.

2. couple years ago I turned Württemberg upside-down looking for a Lemberger that could hold a candle to Blauf from Burgenland—and although I found a couple that were as expensive, the wines didn’t come close.

3. And here permit me a bit of hyperbowling: Zweigelt. Named for Dr Fritz Zweigelt, who wanted to call it Rotburger, but got overuled by popular demand.
I partcipated in a blind tasting in September 09 for the Austrian magazine WIne-Times and the Österreichische Gastronomie Zeitung, which took place in Weiden-am-See, Burgenland.
Nine-member international jury: France, UK, USA, Belgium, Sweden, Bavaria, and the host country represented.
We tasted 400 wines blind over the course of 5 days, flighted according to variety. There may have been 80 Zweigelts. Out of which maybe 75 were delicious. I would’ve been happy drinking nearly all of them. Out of a similar number of Blaufränkisch, perhaps 33% were attractive. And certainly the Blaufs could be more profound than the Zwiggers—it was certainly expected of them. But the Zweigelts didn’t take themselves so seriously, and so were frequently for this very reason more succesful.
I think Zweigelt may be a better blender than Blaufränkisch—especially with international varieties. The two do work and play well together, though

4. nb. Sankt Laurent—observed during the same tasting—was the variety most frequently abused by the winemaker, and the murder weapon was usually François Frères…

]]>By: Steve Rayehttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295629
Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:05:38 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295629Wonderful discussion here. And to those who simply can’t get enough of Blaufrankisch, Gruner, Zweigelt, dry Riesling, Morillon (Austrian name for Chardonnay)and their siblings, consider coming to Vienna May 29-31 for VieVinum, a semi-annual celebration of Austrian wine. I’m told this year will be an opportunity to taste practically every wine made in the country in one place.

Also, Willi Klinger and the Austrian Wine Marketing Board will be puttin’ the show on the road here in the US in NY and San Francisco on May 3rd and 5th respectively.

]]>By: Steve Snyderhttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295613
Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:16:41 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295613There used to be quite a bit of Lemberger (aka Blaufrankish) grown in Washington state. Not many wineries took it seriously, people ripped out the vines. It can make a serious wine here in WA state, too bad it’s not fashionable around these parts… We are starting to see some interest in Zweigelt here in the state. People are always looking for something different…
]]>By: David Schildknechthttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295601
Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:43:08 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295601Chris, there’s nothing I can add to the old saw De gustibus non est disputandum except that I don’t know a single Austrian grower who has both Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch who would tout the former over the latter. Zweigelt’s forte is fruit and more fruit. It can render delicious and at time interesting wines, but in precisely those respects that we attempted in this New York tasting to showcase Blaufränkisch – sensitivity to terroir; age-worthiness; and potential stylistic range – I view Zweigelt as far behind. Furthermore it’s distinctive virtues are so different from those of Blaufränkisch that it constitutes an impediment to growers or importers who wish to promote “Austrian red wine” as a category difficulty
in that the entryl level / glass pour (call it what you will) Zweigelt hits entirely different sweet spots and meets very different criteria in pairing with cuisine than does the Blaufränkisch.

Re Pinot Blanc – do not get me started: this is one of my real soap box cépages – check out BOTH (yes, there are now two) Prieler Pinot Blancs, the Seeberg (a vineyard source for decades) and now also a bottling called Leithaberg, both in the U.S. market. I have experienced Pinot Blanc from this domaine going back even before the days of Siliva’s dad Englebert (who made this estate’s reputation) and have yet to taste one that was passé.

]]>By: Dr. Vinohttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295588
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:27:40 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295588Glad you liked the piece and there are some Blaufrankisch fans out there.

Chris Robinson – sorry you haven’t had a BF that moved you bc I am sure you have had many fine wines based on your previous comments here. As to Zweigelt being a better grape, my understanding is that it is a descendant of BF (and Sant Laurent) and is easier to have a higher crop, thus cheaper. And the resulting wines are more priced for everyday consumption, a parallel to your gamay analogy. But David S. is here and he would be the one to give you an authoritative answer on that–and perhaps convince you.

David – Thanks for stopping by! Very good to see you here. Unfortunately I didn’t try the Carnuntum so I will have to look for it.

Theo – yes, peace reigns throughout the wine world!

Uwe – thanks for stopping by!

Silvia – okay, thanks for the corrected price. I have noted this in the piece above. As to the today’s price, sadly the only retailer in the US (as displayed in winesearcher) with the Prieler sells it for $130, quite a different price than 45 euros, unfortunately…

And to everyone: check out the pillowy Prieler pinot blanc 2008!

]]>By: Silvia Prielerhttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295585
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:17:44 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295585I am sorry for the misunderstanding in communication of the pricing. The Goldberg Blaufränkisch 1993 was about 200 Schillings (15 Euro). Now, 13 years later, the Goldberg costs €45 in Austria.
One sentence more about Blaufränkisch:
I know all this comparison of Blaufränkisch to Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Syrah (20 years ago to Cabernet Sauvingon in Austria), but a character of a great grape variety is unique and stands on its own and that is Blaufränkisch for me.
]]>By: David Schildknechthttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295573
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:36:51 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295573Thanks Theo! I see that by its format, I have to leave the corrections to the boss of this site. (Thanks in advance, Tyler.)

I had intended to add Schiefer’s Königsberg to my quick list of nearer-$25 bottlings and that too I omitted out of haste.

Incidentally, this tasting was sponsored by the growers with help from their importers, the marketing branch of the Austrian Government, and the State (“Land”) of Burgenland, but since the idea to do it was mine and the message & format (designed to demonstrate site-sensitivity, age-ability, and stylistic diversity)were ones whose viability I had demonstrated in tastings I had done in Austria, my advice was taken on various particulars; I had the pleasure of attending; and I was given more credit than I deserved considering who actually did the heavy lifting. (Thanks are also due the growers of Long Island, tasting whose recent bottlings gave me a proximate professional reason to be in New York.)

]]>By: Theohttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295570
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:38:41 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295570David, I assume it’s a typo, but you may want to edit “The Wind Advocate.” I can already see the headline splashed all over the World Wine Web, “Dissension in the Ranks: Schildknecht lashes out at boss and voicing his true opinion calls publication ‘The Wind Advocate.'”

BTW, I’m glad Tyler is comfortable attending an event sponsored by a Wine Advocate writer and David is comfortable positively posting on this board. It says a lot about both of you and goes a long way in representing the ability to maintain constructive criticism and an open dialogue.

]]>By: uwe schieferhttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295565
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:30:11 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295565I really think that the “basic-blaufränkisch” (similar to village wines) – matured in big oak casks, f.e. from 10hl to 30 hl can be very impressive and drinkable from bottling, but they will be best, earliest from 3 to 5 years in the bottle. the greater wines (single vineyard vines from 40 to 80 year old vines), as f.e. neckenmarkt alte reben 2002 or reihburg 1999, recently shown in gramercy tavern new york need a minimum of 8 – 10 years before starting to drink, but its no problem to age them up to 20 years!you can find my wines at http://www.weygandtwines.com
]]>By: David Schildknechthttp://www.drvino.com/2010/02/04/blaufrankisch-best-red-wine-never-heard-o/#comment-295563
Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:46:47 +0000http://www.drvino.com/?p=6046#comment-295563I’m a hugely enthusiastic about Channing Daughters (in fact, getting ready to soon write up more of their white wines – some of the most interesting in North America – in The Wine Advocate). But neither their Blaufränkisch nor the many Washington State or Germany (principally Württemberg) renditions have very much in common with those of eastern Austria or their cousins in Hungary (where the grape is known as Kékfrankos). This disparity is no doubt a reflection of clonal heritage, styles, soils, and microclimate – and I suspect I just listed those in reverse order of importance, but that’s speculation.

Just to amplify the point Tyler alluded to about it being difficult if not a fool’s errand to attempt to craft inexpensive Blaufränkisch, the reason is that the grape – which seems to share with Syrah an inherent reductive proclivity – resists being turned into tasty punch via exclusively tank vinification and early bottling. That’s great for Austria’s native Zwigelt (a crossing between Blaufränkisch and another impressive native – and child of Pinot – St. Laurent) just as it is for Gamay. But Blaufränkisch treated this way is no more interesting than is Pinot punch (of which, heaven knows, the world has too much already). In French terms, Bläufränkisch demands extended élevage.

That said, there are always some apparent exceptions to even a well-founded generalization, and Theo mentioned precisely the ones with which I am most familiar that succeed in a fruity, forward, relatively reductive style, namely Zantho (directed by Pepi Umathum who was part of the recent New York entourage) and Glatzer (from the same Carnuntum region wast of Vienna where Muhr’s Blaufränkisch is grown).

Nearly all of the growers whom I’ve come to think of as the most eloquent exponents of Blaufränkisch have U.S. importers, and there are quite a few really outstanding wines in the $25 range, among them – just sticking with growers mentioned in this article – Silvia Prieler’s Blaufränkisch Johannishöhe; Roland Velich’s basic Moric Blaufränkisch (which Tyler cited); and the bottling of pure Blaufränkisch from the Spitzerberg that Dorli Muhr labels as “Carnuntum.”